Anyone else nervous about making ADRs?

[TakeMe2Disney]

Maybe it's because this is the first year I'm making all the ADRs for the family, but I'm a little nervous about having trouble making them. Sitting on the phone for a couple hours isn't a concern (it might be the only 2 hours of quiet I get for a month!) But I have a pretty in demand list of restaurants and with three of the nights we're there having MNSSHP, we're more limited on when we can go to which restaurant. I'm such a planner, worrier and control freak! Can you hear the headline now - Woman committed after Disney Dining Reservations experience! Anyone else feeling the pressure?

 

[JoePa4Ever]

yes - we're definitely more nervous this year than in the past due to the new 90 day policy. The old 180 day policy gave us ocd planners a leg up on all the others who didn't plan/book that far in advance.

 

[RahRah573]

Last year I didn't even book our reservations in time to use the 180-day advance and even so, managed to get every reservation I wanted, including CRT for lunch. This year since we're booking into the period with free dining, I'm a tad worried, but instead of being married to particular days for certain parks and dining, I've set up my days based on a generic day at whatever park and based on when I can get reservations, that day will be committed to a date we're there.

For example, we want to do Le Cellier for dinner one night....I don't care what night, so I'm open to 10 nights availability - if I can get a ressie for any of the ten nights we're able to go to Epcot, then I'll book my other meals around that reservation....which, on my current lay-out of ADR's to attempt, would be Askershus breakfast, last seating for the morning so we'd have a late lunch...if that weren't available, my fall back option is the character breakfast at Cape May Cafe, park at Beach Club and walk into Epcot through the International Gateway. The date of the reservations don't matter as much as getting the dinner reservation I'd like first and then working the other ADR(s) around it since our dinner ressies are the most important to us!

 

[Bob P]

Everyone take a deep breath!

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2144172

 

[Dreamfinder2]

We'll be at WDW May 17-24, and just to ease a little pressure ... I called less than 30 days out and got every ADR I wanted, on the day I wanted, and within a half-hour of my chosen times. A couple of these were for a party of 9. And I didn't call before daylight, either.

Our hit parade included some hard-to-score spots like Le Cellier, 'Ohana, Sci-Fi, etc.

Not a hitch. Nary a hiccup. No problemo.

 

[DisneyNic]

Maybe it's because this is the first year I'm making all the ADRs for the family, but I'm a little nervous about having trouble making them. Sitting on the phone for a couple hours isn't a concern (it might be the only 2 hours of quiet I get for a month!) But I have a pretty in demand list of restaurants and with three of the nights we're there having MNSSHP, we're more limited on when we can go to which restaurant. I'm such a planner, worrier and control freak! Can you hear the headline now - Woman committed after Disney Dining Reservations experience! Anyone else feeling the pressure?

I could have written this post. Even though I am 26 and married with 2 kids, my mom still has planned our family vacations since the only vacations we have been on have been with my entire family. This time, I have taken the role of vacation planner. I have absolutely LOVED parts of it. I love the researching (thanks to the DIS) and I love that I have some special surprises in store that no one but me will know about. The ADRs are one of those surprises, but I am really nervous about getting the ones I want. I am going to stay pretty flexible, focusing more on getting a certain restaraunt rather than a certain day or time. I just keep telling myself that my family does not know what ADRs I am trying to get, therefore, it will only be me who is dissappointed if I can't get the ones I want.

 

[MelanieC]

I'm looking forward to next month when I can do ours

 

[marylouwho]

I was nervous about calling too. I never did the 90 day, 7 am thing. But I did it, and got everything that I wanted.

Ohana's
Kona
WCC
1900 PF
LeCellier
MM fantastic dinner package
Boma

I think the more we think and plan and obsess, the more nervous we get. So relax!!! Once you get that great CM on the other end of the line, your nerves will calm down. I always find the CM's to be so friendly and helpful.

 

[reagan75]

I am a tad nervous too. Maybe is anxious mixed in there as well. I am going with the same plan that I don't care what day but whatever day is available is what park we'll be going to. I am also planning an anniversary dinner for my parents and hope I get that one. I am couting the days.

 

[reagan75]

I am a tad nervous too. Maybe it's anxious mixed in there as well. I am going with the same plan that I don't care what day but whatever day is available is what park we'll be going to. I am also planning an anniversary dinner for my parents and hope I get that one booked. I am counting the days.

 

[frannn]

All of our plans are not finalized, and I won't plan our days till the official calendar comes out. We know where we want to eat, just not when. I'm scared we won't get a bunch of stuff we want, since so many we want are very popular. I'm not sure what to ask for first, since LC, CM, FDP, HDD, CRT, etc are all on our list, as well as BBB. We are going for FD, so we'll be doing battle with lots of other people looking for great TS meals.

 

[LUVDZNY2008]

I'm very nervous (I'm an OCD planner). I do have some flexibility and acouple back-ups, but I will be upset if I don't get LeCellier for dinner.

 

[n2mm]

After more trips than I can count now, I'm a little nervous to use the new system. I have to call for my ADRs next weekend for our July Anniversary trip. We are on the DxDDP and I plan to do a signature every night. I want things to go perfectly, so a little concerned. BUT, more concerned booking my August ADRs. I have to start calling while at WDW in May for that trip, plus both trips are a split stay, so I have to deal with that and to make things more complicated, my August trip is a party of 8 and if I can't do all of my August ADRs during my first call (while in WDW in May), I'll have to call my first day back to the office after a 2 week trip to WDW -- so I've put in to be on leave that day. OK, a little stressed using the new system, but I think I have every right to be.

 

[NorweJenNY]

Any time I've called for ADRs in the past, it was for one or two, and I always had several days/times as options... not this time, so my nerves are acting up too!

Our next trip is making me nervous, as it is our first DDP experience, it's for 9 days, and I've got to fit everything in amidst a conference that I'm going to while we're there... and this will be in July... so I'm down to less than 48 hours for my 90-day window. My son also has a special request for his birthday dinner our first night there: Chef Mickey's, so I'm nervous about that one not working out.

Then we're going during free dining this four, & we'll be a party of 8, so that's two factors making me nervous about those ADRs!

We'll just keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best!

 

[txdisneyfam]

We are going for Thanksgiving, and I'm a little nervous, but plan on trying to be flexible to make it easier!

 

[Colleen27]

I'm not really worried, but I'm a SAHM so being on the phone for hours is no problem and the baby has me up in plenty of time to call when dining opens.

With 9 nights of deluxe dining, I've got quite a long list of ADRs to make. Only two are the very popular, difficult to get ADRs (Le Cellier and Chef Mickey) and only two are ones I'd be very disappointed not to get (Akershus and Chef Mickey), and I've got backup plans in mind for those. And since the backup plan for Chef Mickey is to book it for the last day of our trip, which will be day 10 of our 90+10 window, I think it is a pretty sure bet.

 

[Vickis3js]

I know I am worried about making them and I have MONTHS to go. We are going for Christmas and we are only making a few ADR's since we will be staying with our points for the first time and plan to utilize the kitchen and since we are not doing the parks no real need. BUT we want to have Christmas diner at Ohana and it will be a party of 10. Thats the only one we are not going to be flexible with our days. We also want Boma, Chef Mickeys, Ohana breakfast and Trex. But we are way more flexible with them.

 

[1hero2princesses]

I am nervous and I am not a huge planner. We are going during free dining. We rarely eat out during the year. I am talking 2 or 3 times so this opportunity is a big deal to me. Also, my kids are small so I can't take real late ADR's which are often easier to come by. No, the 2 year old won't be eating at 9pm. We went last year during free dining. I called at 6am on my first day. Could not get LeCellier for lunch or dinner the 2 days we were in Epcot. Got CRT for lunch only. And this was when it was 180 days! I bet this year will be harder. Last year I had a bunch of character meals and found out DD3 was afraid of characters when we got there. Had to try to find other places to eat. It was hard. Had to take whatever we could get. I spent a lot of time on it. Still trying to decide on park hoppers. If we keep them than I don't have to worry quite so much - although I would prefer to eat in the park I am in!

 

[canluvpooh]

I just booked our reservations for our July trip yesterday and it went very smoothly. They gave the reservation numbers at the end which seemed to work very well. All the reservations I wanted I got (this was the first time that has ever happened).

Closed my office door at work and pretended I was in a conference call

All in all it was pretty smooth.

 

[sabrecmc]

I booked our ADRs for our mid-July trip this morning. I had no problem getting the following:

CRT at 8:05
Le Cellier at 5:55
1900 Park Fare at 8:15
My Disney Girl Perfectly Princess Tea

What I could NOT get for a time that worked was the Fantasmic dinner package. I could get a slot, but they were for very early afternoon (like 3:40) and that would not work with my daughter's nap schedule. However, I was very pleased with what I was able to reserve.

On the other hand, the CM was nice but not terribly informed. She tried to tell me the first booking for CRT was at 5:00am and had no idea what the tea party was (tried to book me for the regular garden tea at GF). Her system was having problems and I kept having to tell her my name and address over and over for each reservation. So, I guess there are still some glitches.

I also called the STYLE number and booked BBB and the Family Magic Tour. We're so excited to go!